Emmerdale's Gabby Thomas, played by Rosie Bentham, has been at the centre of a heartbreaking health storyline, with doctor Manpreet Sharma warning she could die. Away from the ITV soap, Bentham has experienced both personal joy and profound loss.
Gabby's Recent Storylines
Gabby Thomas, born on Christmas Day in 2001 to Bernice Blackstock and Ashley Thomas, has faced a series of difficult events in the Dales. Her ex-husband Vinny Dingle secretly struggled with his sexuality, moving on with Lewis Barton, while Gabby pursued Ross Barton and later had a brief relationship with Billy Fletcher. She was also involved in the death of Jimmy King, after speaking to distracted driver Vinny on the phone, causing him to swerve into Jimmy's car.
The Health Crisis
Viewers have seen Gabby battle orthorexia, an eating disorder focused on 'pure' foods, which led her to reject antibiotics for a chest infection. On October 7, Laurel Thomas found her seriously unwell before she collapsed. Hospitalised with pneumonia, Gabby questioned the ingredients in her medication and tried to remove her IV cannula, claiming she was being poisoned.
Manpreet warned: "Gabby, listen, you're not healthy. You're lying in a hospital bed, very unhealthy because your overwhelming irrational fears have stopped you from eating." She added, "Forget the food for a minute, without these fluids, and proper medical intervention, you'll die from malnutrition or pneumonia, whichever gets you first."
Rosie's Secret Boyfriend
Off-screen, Bentham has been private about her romances. In January 2023, she told The Mirror about red flags in dating, saying: "The biggest red flag is when someone says to me, 'So, tell me what’s going to happen next'. It's obvious at that point they’re not interested in me, they’re just trying to get spoilers out of me."
In September 2025, she revealed to The Sun she had been in a relationship for nearly three years, saying: "We were introduced by a mutual friend and he knew what I did for a job but hadn't seen the programme! His mum and grandparents watch Emmerdale, though. I am happy, and I am glad my life is a lot more peaceful than Gabby’s!" Her boyfriend, a quantity surveyor in Yorkshire, prefers to stay anonymous, though he attended the Soap Awards with her.
Personal Tragedy
Bentham, 25, suffered the sudden death of her father, John, from a pulmonary embolism just before her 18th birthday. She recalled: "It was such a huge shock. I was on a weekend away, and when I got told, I just couldn’t believe it because he hadn't been ill beforehand. I got angry because I couldn't understand why and how it had happened. I can remember saying 'No, no, no'." She added: "Dad loved being a dad more than anything else. It's why I always tell my friends to reach out to their dads because you never ever know."
Emmerdale airs weekdays on ITV and ITVX.
